United States Department of Agriculture 

Forest Service 

willamette national forest 

Highlights from 2012 — We work in communities, searching for 

the greatest good. We all know that nature matters and are working 

towards discovering what nature can sustainably provide. 

— Meg Mitchell, Forest Supervisor 
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Nature Matters 


Willamette water cascades, babbles, and seeps its way past ageold lava as it journeys down from the Cascade Crest to arrive 

on, and under, the valley floor. This precious water from the 

Willamette National Forest nourishes the lands and forests that 

shape our life in Oregon. This gift from the forest supplies all 

forms of life with clear, refreshing, delicious water. While it is not 

apparent when you turn on the tap, our employees are the silent 

stewards of this resource, working hard to protect and enhance 

water quality in the Willamette watershed. 

Recruiting future firefighters at the State Fair. 

In 2012, we are especially proud of our efforts to plan and 

implement recreation, timber, wildlife, and other projects while 

carefully preserving and protecting water quality. Our challenge 

is finding the way to balance use and preservation, conserving 

resources while supplying for the needs of communities. Our 

aquatic specialists guide managers and co-workers in innovative 

ways to protect and enhance riparian areas, in-stream habitat, 

and whole watersheds. Clean water is key to this place we 

call home, and essential to maintaining the quality of life we 

appreciate in the Pacific Northwest. 

Youth learn about how streams work by using a model watershed. 

In addition to our daily work of conservation, we are also 

restoring previously degraded aquatic ecosystems. In 2012, 

we worked with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 

the South Santiam Watershed Council, and Cascade Timber 

Consultants of Sweet Home to improve fish habitat in Canyon 

Creek, a tributary of the South Santiam River. Foresters and fish 

biologists from government, non-profit, and business sectors 

worked side by side to place whole trees securely into streams 

so that fish have a place to spawn and rear their young. Working 

across boundaries like this is called an all lands approach; this 

model of focusing on nature first, and human created boundaries 

last, reflects our desire to work collaboratively for the resources 

we all value. 

The Forest is also preparing for the future of water in the 

Willamette Valley by helping to educate the next generation of 

land stewards. Classrooms and events throughout Oregon use 

the stream simulator, which was developed by Ernie Ledbetter, 

a hydrologist on the Willamette National Forest. He and his 

wife, Marcia, are both former Forest Service employees who love 

kids, water, art, and conservation. They are now small business 

owners in the Oakridge area, talking with kids about the future 

of water, communities, and landscapes as well as building stream 

simulators and other educational resources for agencies and 

schools in the Northwest. 

Left: Engaging kids outdoors is easy; 

just add sun, water and bugs! 

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Nature Provides
 

Willamette wood has long been a staple of local communities 

and it continues to play a role in local economies today. The 

location, timing, amount, and types of harvest have changed 

over the years, but the idea of a sustainable supply of timber and 

water (Organic Act of 1897) has not. Willamette National Forest 

employees are proud to be part of this tradition and proud to 

be part of searching, together with communities, for a way to 

sustainably produce timber and other wood products. Today, 

much of the wood produced on the Willamette National Forest 

is taken as a by-product of larger efforts to restore wildlife and 

other forested habitats. 

Forester Tim Bailey checks out a legacy oak in the newly 

restored savanna. 

In 2012, we are especially proud of the completion of the Jim’s 

Creek project on our Middle Fork Ranger District. One sunny 

day in 2001, Forester Tim Bailey was inventorying forest stands 

on his way back to the office from another nearby project. 

As Tim walked the hillside above Camper’s Flat, he noticed a 

great number of dead oak trees, the majority of which were 

shorter than the surrounding Douglas fir trees. In his mind’s 

eye, he saw a very different landscape that once occupied this 

ground; graceful oaks surrounded by open grasses. He also 

found old pines on the site, some of which were carved by the 

Indian people who used this site years ago. The forester in Tim 

hypothesized that the oaks shared the site until the Douglas 

firs slowly crept up and overtook the older oaks. A group that 

included dozens of scientists, activists and community members 

generated a plan that included harvesting the Douglas firs, 

burning the underbrush, and planting more oaks to restore this 

important savanna. 

Today, after nearly a decade of planning and work, the Jim’s 

Creek Savanna has a new lease on life. Scientists and managers 

continue to monitor the effort, and community members are 

welcome to call Tim at (541) 782-2283 for a site visit or more 

information. The Jim’s Creek project netted approximately 10 

million board feet of timber for local mills and roughly 100 nongovernment workers participated in the on-site work. 

Workers clear merchantable logs from the restored savanna. Right: Burning the savanna 

regenerates grasses and forbs that 

are important food for wildlife. 

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Forest Service employees and other community members restore a local playground as part of the 

Ford Foundation’s Rural Communities Initiatives. 

Being in Community 

Willamette employees work with local communities to achieve a collective vision for National Forest management. As servants of 

the American people, our employees work with others across the region and the country who are interested in environmental and 

social issues. Nearly all of our employees live in valley communities and many serve those communities through volunteer and 

other leadership roles. 

Douglas McKenzie Bi-Centennial: Forest Service employees share 

information about the forest with local residents and visitors. 

In 2012, we are especially proud to celebrate the history of the 

McKenzie River Valley along with the Bi-centennial celebration 

of Douglas McKenzie, the man credited with naming this special 

place. Working together with Oregon Tourism and history 

advocates, our McKenzie River Ranger District participated 

in the summer-long festival of events. Outcomes from this 

effort included a new continuity of roadside signage for local 

river communities, increased community interactions at 

multiple scales, and a greater knowledge of local history and 

environmental issues by local residents and others who attended. 

Teaching youth to read maps prepares them for a lifetime of 

safe adventures. 

In 2012, we also celebrated the 100-year history of the Willamette 

National Forest with a gathering at historic Fish Lake Remount 

Depot. This gathering brought old and young together to learn 

about historic skills and times, such as re-creating a historic 

ranger visit, horsepacking skills, old time music, and a crosscut 

saw exhibition. You are encouraged to enjoy Fish Lake today. 

Winter cabins offer a snowy retreat (accessible only by snowshoes 

or skies); spring weather brings the chance to float on the lake; 

and summer days pass gently under sunny skies and soft breezes. 

You can access this alpine getaway on Highway 126. Call the 

McKenzie River Ranger District at (541) 822-3381 for more 

information. 

Finding the Greatest Good 

Employees in the Willamette National Forest experience work as a great challenge and deep honor, to be a part of defining sustainability 

on the ground. One thing is for sure, we individually will never know it all, nor will we find some absolute answer to the greatest good: 

since good is a societal construct and society constantly changes. What we promise is that we are here, willing and eager to learn 

together. Please be in touch and join the conversation toward a better tomorrow. 

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USDA Forest Service is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Thank you for taking the time to read over some of the highlights from our 2012 work. 

I encourage you to add your voice and contribute to finding the greatest good together.

You can contact Jude McHugh at jmchugh@fs.fed.us or 541.225.6305 with questions.

 — Meg Mitchell, Forest Supervisor

Willamette National Forest 

www.fs.usda.gov/willamette